Buying or Selling Weed on Craigslist: Safety & Legality

Before we even get started, I’m going to tell you that you should never buy weed on craigslist. Sorry if I ruined any suspense. Don’t worry – I’m going to go into more detail, but I wanted to get right to the point so there’s no confusion. Buying weed on Craigslist comes with serious legal and safety concerns. It’s just not worth it.

Legal Concerns for Buying Weed on Craigslist

Under no circumstance is it legal to buy or sell weed on craigslist. Do people do it anyways? Of course, but it may only be a matter of time before it catches up to them. Some people like to think that there are exceptions or clever loopholes. Let me repeat myself – under no circumstances is it legal to buy or sell weed on craigslist.

What about in legal places like Denver, Colorado or DC?

Just because weed is legal for anyone 21+ to smoke doesn’t mean it’s legal for anyone to sell it. You must be a licensed dispensary in order to sell cannabis. If the dealer is operating outside of a licensed dispensary then the transaction is illegal.

In fact, Denver police have recently been cracking down on Craigslist dealers. The police have reportedly been using undercover officers to contact people through these ads.

What if it’s Just a Donation?

You’ll see many people trying to beat the system by asking for donations or charging for something other than the weed. For instance, a dealer may say the weed if free, but there’s a charge for the bag. I’ve also seen people claim to give free weed in exchange for a donation to their worm farm which they use to produce fertilizer. The list goes on. In the end, all of these methods are bogus and not legitimate loopholes.

What if there’s no money involved? What if I Just Trade Something for Weed?

Still no. It doesn’t matter if you’re exchanging money, a bike, or anything else – it’s all illegal.

A man in Oregon was cited and his car impounded when he tried to trade weed for a snowmobile. As it turns out, the person with the snowmobile was a state trooper.

What if it’s Free?

In certain states, it is legal to give someone weed, however, free weed on Craigslist doesn’t exist because that would be stupid. If you see an ad for free weed then run far away from it.

Safety Concerns for Buying Weed on Craigslist

Do you really want to know why you shouldn’t buy weed on Craigslist? Truth is, there are some really evil people who use the ads to scam and physically harm potential buyers.

In October 2015 five men were arrested for using marijuana ads on craigslist to lure in victims that they would rob and assault. This really happened, and if you don’t think this could happen to you then you’re naive.

This type of thing happens in every city. Many of the robberies and assaults are never reported. Why? Because not too many people want to walk into a police station and tell the cops they were mugged trying to buy weed. This is one reason why people get away with this.

Code Words

Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing what to search for. Posts will sometimes use code words in an attempt to fool law enforcement. Don’t think that these code words are fooling law enforcement for even a second. A man in Connecticut was arrested after an investigation following a craigslist post for “instant anxiety and depression relief for $420“. If a normal person can decipher your code words then so can a normal police officer.

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7 Comments

Wow I never knew people sold cannabis on craigslist but I guess you can find anything on there. I agree with the safety concerns you mentioned above. really important to stay vigilant with any deals online even if you just buying a TV or second hand phone let alone weed.

I’ve always heard horror stories about Craigslist in the mmmp community. Everything from laced cannabis to cops looking for people without their medical weed card. Ive even heard people trading information so they wont be detained if the authorities are involved. All in all I don’t use craigslist for anything now. That place is like the wild west.

Wow. In South Africa we have a site called gumtree which is very similar to craigslist but much more moderated. I have never seen weed being sold on the site and have even sold my old car though gumtree before and it was pretty safe.

You’re correct – there is no moderation. One thing about craigslist is you need to make deals in a public area to stay safe, but this isn’t possible if you’re trying to buy or sell something that’s illegal.